


Homeward Bound

by JediJanine



Category: Supernatural
Genre: Lightborn Project, Post Season 7, Purgatory
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2012-09-24
Updated: 2012-09-24
Packaged: 2017-11-14 22:35:17
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,339
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/520220
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/JediJanine/pseuds/JediJanine
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Another turn in the trail that leads home for Dean and Castiel.  Takes place in "The Lightborn Project" Universe by everkings (http://thelightbornproject.tumblr.com/), Post Season 7.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Homeward Bound

* * *

 

“Oof!” Castiel grunted, nearly stumbling into his companion.

Dean had halted suddenly, throwing out his arm to stop Castiel beside him.

“You smell that?”

“What, Dean?”

Without responding, Dean surged forward through the trees, clearly on the trail of something that Castiel could not detect.  Castiel sighed and followed close at Dean’ heels, branches snapping beneath his feet.  They slowed at the edge of the woods, Dean’s breath frosting in the air in front of him.  Castiel paused, silent beside him, staring at the house glowing on the hill in the distance.

“Pie…”

Dean moved to rush forward again, but Castiel quickly grabbed Dean by his tattered coat sleeve.  Dean whipped around to face him.

“We must proceed with caution, it could be a trap,” he warned.  Dean nodded his head, silently agreeing.  The house looked enticingly like the one that Dean had grown up in for the first few years of his life.  But he’d seen where breadcrumbs and gingerbread led before, and it wasn’t pretty.  Yeah.  Caution.  They crept up onto the porch, slowly pushed the door inwards, and were greeted with a bright burst of light.

And the business end of a shotgun. 

Held by a young Mary Winchester.

“Who are you?”  Mary threatened them with her weapon.

“Woah!  We’re friendlies!” Dean raised his hands in surrender, “You can point that somewhere else.”

“Even lion-face over there?” Mary gestured to Castiel.

“Yeah, he’s a friend,” Dean placed his child-sized hand on Castiel’s arm.  Castiel quirked his leonine head at Dean’s youthful true form, feeling a certain joy at being called “a friend”.  Castiel gave a small smile.  For all of Dean’s previous complaints about how small and vulnerable his true form appeared,  Dean looked perfectly comfortable and happy in this moment. And he could see the tension leaving Mary’s face as she regarded the two of them.

“Well, you might as well come in,” Mary lowered her shotgun and gestured for them to enter the house.  As they ventured inside, Dean glanced around at the multitude of candles lining the windows and casting a warm glow about the entire interior

“So, what should I call you?” Mary asked, leaning the gun against a nearby wall.

“I’m Dean.  And this here’s Castiel,” he hesitated, “and you are—“

“Mary.”

Dean and Castiel glanced at each other, surprised.

“You remember who you are?” Castiel murmured.

“And you-- don’t remember me?” Dean asked cautiously.

“No,” then with a grin on her face, “Though I’ll admit, you two are the first people that I’ve trusted enough to let into my house since I’ve been here.  Have we met before?”

“Something like that.”  Dean was unsure of how many details he should divulge.  Memories were a tricky thing.  He knew that first hand and from watching Cas and Sam.  He diverted attention from the topic with, “Was that apple pie I smelled?”

Mary laughed, “Good nose!  Do you two want a slice?”

“Yes ma’am!  Don’t mind if we do,” Dean replied with his typical charming smile.

As Mary retreated to the kitchen, Castiel leaned to whisper in Dean’s ear, “What are we doing, Dean?”

“Taking a break,” Dean leaned back in his chair, “Besides, it seems pretty untouched here, shouldn’t we figure out why?  Also she’s my mother, Cas, I just… I can’t just leave as soon as I’ve found her.”

Castiel’s heart ached for Dean.  He knew the pain of leaving and losing family all too well.  And how wondrous it had felt to, however briefly, be reunited. 

“Alright.  But we must stay on our guard.”

Dean’s face lit up.

“Thanks, Cas.  Now come try some of this pie.”

 

* * *

 

The three of them exchanged stories about what they had seen since arriving in Purgatory.  Curiously, Mary described how she had never been able to leave this house since arriving.  It was as if something compelled her to stay there.

Dean and Castiel looked questioningly at each other.

“Do you remember how you got here?” Castiel queried.

“I remember protecting my family.  And a bright, burning light…and then this.  I cannot even remember who my family was,” she shrugged, “Isn’t that sad?”

“More than you know,” Dean mumbled.

“So you’ve never tried to escape from here?” Castiel asked.

“Why would I?  I have most everything I need.  It’s a little lonely,” Mary sighed, “I feel like a piece of me is missing. But it has been quiet and safe.”

Dean and Castiel expressed their surprise at this.  What made this place so special?  Mary had no answers to that question.

\---

They talked for what was likely hours, but in this place of perpetual twilight, time was hard to tell.  Eventually, Mary announced she was going to head up to bed.

“There’s a guest room on the second floor on the right.  You two are welcome to stay as long as you please.  It’s nice to have company for once.”  She smiled and left them to their thoughts.

Dean remained silent for a while, his brow furrowed in concentration.

“Dean?” Castiel prodded.

Dean glanced at Castiel, a multitude of emotions crossing his face.

“Are you okay?”

“Yeah.  Just…I never thought I would see her again, let alone in this place,” Dean mused, “Why isn’t she in Heaven?”  Dean fiddled with his fork.

“I’m unsure, Dean.  Perhaps making the deal with Azazel was enough to prevent her from reaching Heaven, but not enough to condemn her to the Pit.”

“Maybe.” Dean seemed lost.  The child in him shone bright.

“We should rest now, come on.”  Cas dragged Dean to his feet and they shuffled upstairs. 

After months of leaning on each other, wavering on the edge of sleep at night, they naturally fell into place side by side in the guest room.  The plush, king-sized bed was a nice change from the rocks and debris of the forest.  It looked like they might get a good night’s sleep for once.

“Dean.”

“Yeah, Cas?” Dean turned onto his right side and looked into Castiel’s eyes.

“I’m sorry you had to live without your mother.  I’m glad I got to meet her now.”

“Me too, Cas.” Dean fell silent.  His eyes closed.

“Dean?”  Cas whispered.  But Dean was fast asleep.  Cas leaned back, staring past the wooden beams of the ceiling into the dusky darkness.  He worried about his brothers.  He worried about Dean and his mother.  He hoped there was something he could do to save them. But for now he rested, giving in to the comfort of the warm bed and the sound of Dean softly breathing.

 

* * *

 

“Cas!” Dean shouted, shaking Castiel’s shoulders.  He knelt on the bed looking down at his friend.

“What’s wrong Dean?”  Castiel looked up at Dean, who wavered in and out of his true form.

“We have to leave.  Now.”  Dean was frantic, and Castiel could hear the all too familiar demonic rustlings outside.

It had been too good to last.

Dean moved and Cas followed behind him.

“No, Dean.”  Cas stopped him as Dean headed towards where his mother slept.

“We can’t leave her.” Dean whimpered.

Castiel knelt in front of the child.  Gently palming Dean’s cheek, he spoke, “We must.  She has been safe here for so long.  She will continue to be safe.”

Dean looked up into the eyes of Castiel’s true form.  Tears on the brink of spilling down his face.

“I just found her, Cas,” Dean choked.

 “I know.  And you _will_ find her again.  Trust me.  We need to leave.  This is how we can protect her.”

Dean understood.  Everywhere he went, his family was taken away from him.  He had to protect Mary.  And Cas was right.

“Okay,” Dean breathed, placing his small hand upon Castiel’s smooth beak, “let’s make sure these sons of bitches chase us far away from this place.”

The two fled the house, trailing the sounds of pained howls and shrieks.

 

* * *

 

From her window, Mary stared longingly after them as their silhouettes vanished into the mist.

“Good luck, my son.  Take care of your guardian angel.”

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks to kelpiefood for being my beta. Thanks to everkings for making this fabulous universe!


End file.
